Motor-car.



7 No. 648,328. Patented Apr. 24, I900.

J. C. ANDERSON.

MOTOR GAR.

(Application flied Sept. 5, 1899.)

7 Sheets-Sheet I.

'(No Model.)

INVENTOH ATTORNEY WITNESSES TH: Norms PETERS co. wuorauwo. WASHINGTON. 1c.

No. 648,328. Patented Apr. 24, I900. J. C. ANDERSON.

M 0 TO B C A R.

(Application filed Sept. 5, 1899.)

7 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

w/rlvass s;

A 77'0HNEY m: non ms PETER; 60,. PnoTo-umoq wmmnron. D c.

Patent edApr. 24, 1900.. J. c. ANDERSON.

MOTOR GAR.

(Application filed Sept. 5, 1899.)

7 Sheets-Sheet 5.-

(NoMddeL) /N VENTOR WITNESSES THE NORRJS PETERS 00,, PHOTO-LING WASNINGTON, o. c.

"N0. 648,328. Patented Apr. 24, I900.

J. C. ANDERSON.

MOTOR GAR.

(Application filed Sept. 5, 1899.)

(No Model.) 7 Sheeis$he6'( 6.

THE "om-us Prrtns 00.. nno'rqufum. WASNINGTON. o. c

No. 648,328. Patented Apr. 24, I900.

J. C. ANDERSON.

MOTOR CAR.

(Appligation filed Sept. 6, 1899.)

(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 f l/ & Y r v J WITNESSES Q C INVENTOI? 1 5% KW fl ATTORNEY UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES C. ANDERSON, OF HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS MOTOR-CAR.

' srnornronrren forming part of was Patent 1%. 648,328, dated April 24, 1906.

Application filed September 5, 1899. Serial No. 729,484. (No model.)

To, all whom it may col'wcrit:

Be it known, that I, JAMES C. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Highland Park, in the county of Lake andflState ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motor-Oars; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full,clear, and exact description of the in'v ention,such as will enable others skilled in, the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Myinvention relates to certain new and useful improvements in street-car construction.

In the art of transportation of bodies a11d weight the first consideration has been to secure'a surface on the roadway which would not present the usual impediments -and obstruct-ions due to inequalities existing in any ordinary road, and hence with economy of construction in view it was suggested that two parallel tracks should be laid constituting in themselves two narrowroadways, and

it was then proposed to mount the conveyance upon wheels adapted to travel upon such rails. As the longitudinal direction of the rails or roadways was necessarily curved at certain points and as the wheels of a car would not have difierential speed, it followed that the wheels traveling on the larger radii were compelled to slip. Hence the rails were made smooth to permit such slipping, this condition being at the expense of desired traction. While this slipping motion has been provided for, the fact remains that all such slipping means friction, and friction of this character means the unnecessary eX- penditure of the force or power used to propel the car. This fact may be readily understood by carefully considering the sound made by a railway or street car traversing-a curve, the flanges and treads of the wheels traveling the curves of larger radii generating a grinding noise perceptible for quite along distance. These defects have been permissiblein vehicles in which the wheels operate as levers and the axles a's fulcrums, the motive force being applied to the body of the vehicle or in ordinary railway traflic where the power is applied in a rotary directionas, for instance, in a locomotive or in cars propelled by electric motive force-because the tracks and tires being both composed of steel whenever the traction due to the weight applied rotatively to the wheels the result is simply the slipping action Without any large degree of damage either to the tracks or the wheels, although atthe expense of the motive force; but if this same slipping action should take place between a tire and a roadway, either or both susceptible to abrasion, it would follow that the destruction of one or both would soon take place. In this connection, and with reference to the-development being made in the art of autotrucks and similar vehicles, it will be found that they are being equipped with tires especially adapted to secure traction to the greatest extent, and in all such vehicles the disastrous result of the slipping action of the wheel would be obvious.

My invention has for its object to provide a car which, while it shall have all of the advantages of such a vehicle for traffio purposes, shall be capable of use upon ordinarily-smooth streets or roadways without rails of any kind and which shall also protect the tires and the roadways from undue wear and abrasion, all of which I accomplish, as I verily believe, for the first time by the special features of construction hereinafter more fully set forth, and with these ends in view consists in the details of construction and arrangement thereof which I will now proceed to describe, referring by letters and numerals to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a car adapted to travel without rails upon any ordinary street or roadway. Fig. 2 is a detail plan View, on enlarged scale, of the two centrallyarranged driving wheels and supportingfork frames and the main power-transmitting shaft and mechanism, with the springpiston supports shown in section. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of said wheels and trucks secured in position. Fig. at is a side elevation of a car similar to Fig. 1, but showing double trucks and two wheels on each side of the car. Fig. 5 is a top or plan view, partly in section, similar to Fig. 2, but showing the double trucks illustrated at Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the double trucks and connections. Fig. 7 is a plan view showing the single centrally-arranged driving-wheels and the end-supporting and steering wheels and .io 7 "side elevation" ofthe'same. Fig. 11 is men- J hearings or otherwise" within a inetaltork-o bifurcated arm '0, one end ofw-hichis pivotally connected to, the maino'r power-trains} ,rn'itting" shaft D, supported within boxes E,*:f seeur'edto the lower ends of truck-brackets F by bolts G, and the bracket Fis'secured'im "position upon the under sidefof the car-frame by'boltsH or in any other suitable manneri Immediately over the axisofthewheels BE spring-cylindersl are secured'to the under, {side of the fcar-bo'dy by bolts J These cyl-' indersare, so- 'far' as their interior construetion is concerned, similar itothose'shown in [section at Fig, 9, inorder thatspri'ngsK may be located therein I .(see Fig. 9) of anysuitable'construction,"but 1 preferably of rubber, with longitudinal airchambers d'uly inflated, as fully described in. air-application filed by me on the 31st day of July, 189.9, Serial- N0. 725,665, for improvesteering-rods, the outline ofthe bottom of '7 the car being also shown and the dotted lines showingjthe relationof partswhenthe change 7 of direction is made from a straight line,

'Fig. 8 is a similar-view and illustrating the double trucks anddriving-wh'eels. li=ig.;9is a central vertical'section of one of theendtral vertical section of oneiof "the peripheral in feet.of"thedriving wheelqand itsconnecjtioni with the ankle of the peripheral leg f'se'cured radi i h t e wh e s.- 2iwdia ra 1 representing the bottom partfof' theperiphr 1' ejr'ie's' bf the double driving-wheels in a relation! V tolinesindicati'ng a straight.andayc'urved n path offth e travel ofja car; 1

' indicatelike parts in the several figures? -Airepresentsfithe body of a car Ofif'ahyide siredi ize and shape," being shown at Fig ll 'smfallerthan at Fiig.4',ifor reasons hereinafte explainedp fiSiinilar ett ers' and'nuinerals-jof referen'c The'drivin g vvheelsBarejjonrnaledonb Their lower endsareopen nients in'autoinob'ile carriages; T h'e se cylinders also receive the heads of piston-supipor'ts L, which are pivotally' mounted upon the'axle on whichthe wheels 13 are mounted, as-will be presently explained. From this construction it will be seen thatvthe wheel trucks or forks'G are free to vibrate upon the ends-of the shaft D and that thehead "of the piston-supports L, bearing against the conmounted pass through the bifurcated trucks o'r torks, O, and projecting each side constitutejournals upon which the lower ends of the pisjton supports L are pivoted and where they aresecu'red in position by suitable nuts N} .The wheels B may be mounted upon balliu an'ysui'table manner, and they arej preferably of the general construction ,shown'in an application filed by me on'the 16th day. ofAugust, 1899, Serial No. 727,460,

7 for improvements in-wheels for auto-trucks,

and" which are. provided with peripheral feet fm'ounted upon ankles having a radial'moVemehtin on thewheel.- .lnithe present case, however; instead a of 'pivotall'y connecting the peripheralfeet to the ankles andprovidingmfor longitudinal and lateral vibra non connect'the'feet with the ankles by a *ball {and -sook'et c nhection as. specially k'shown at' EigL' 1-1,- invwhich O is the circular hoofor foot proper, formed in its upper surifaeewith a central;hemispherical socket P,

andIQ-Si's 'actwo-partcap with a corresponding *Ee ti ers ed from above. by a socket which' wi-ii permit erthefree Pin'ov'ement of he lower extremityflftheankle R. The two- S inahobvio'us manner; 7 I I The foot iscircul'aiand hollow, as" shown, a "d ie-filled bya frog or cushion T, composed, preferably, of asphalt'um and. other composinon-sorleader Babbittinetalto secure the proper degree of traction, althoughother mae 'In the application covering the wheel construction 'just referred to'the dou'b'lje articulation of thefeet is designed for the purpose of' adapting thenitotheinequalities of the permit. the foot toremain at. a state of cornlieving-the cushion, frog, or what "may be bail d sectional tire, from the twisting and grinding action which necessarily ensues when a wheel is turned upon a vertical axis.

I desire to emphasize this feature of con- -stru'ction, because it becomes'abs'olut'ely necessaryto the satisfactory steering of my'improved car, as'will appear hereinafter,

. 'Inthe construction shown atFigs. 1,2, and 3' one wheel B isarranged on each side under the center of the car, pivoted'to'the main power-driven shaft D, which is made in two sections, with the adjacent or inner ends supported in journal-boxes U and the'two outer ends in the boxes -E, 'all ofwhich are bolted to brackets The'inne'r ends of the twopartshaft Dare connected, by any suitable difierent'ial mechanism V but-I prefer the construction and arrangement shown and described in the application filed by me for improvements in automobiles and hereinbeforc referred to. From the construction described it will be seen that each of the two drivingwheels B have independent vibratoryfmovement with thei'r-fork-fra'mesO upon the main power-driven 'shaft D, that each are driven independently anddifferentially, (when necessary, as in turning eorners,)'andthat the axle of each wheel is supported ateach endag'ainst parteap Q is seen red in place by sc'p 'wfb'olts roadway, but in the presentcasethe ball-andsocket connection oi-"j'oin'thot'only subserves alike purpose, but; is especially designed to IIO fasp'ring through the medium of the piston- -supports L and springs K in the cylinders I, which conditions necessarily give to the car a very easy spring action and also enables each and every one of the wheels to accommodate itself to all of the inequalities in the surface of the road without necessarily disturbing the horizontal equilibrium of the car. It will be seen that each wheel and what may be termed its truck is connected with the nu der side of the car at four points-viz at the two ends of the two legs of the bracket F and at the points of connection with the two spring-cylinders I-and that there are two parallel vertical planes of-vibration-to-wit, one through the axis of the main driven shaft D and the other through the axis of the wheel Band that .these conditions exist at both sides of the car independently of each other and that the vertical movement may be likened to that of a bar rocking upon a "ariable or constantly-changing fulcrum.

.Before proceeding to describe the end wheel-supports of thecar and their construction I will now describe a modification of the central driving-wheel construction. and one and springs K, substantially such as'I have described with reference to the single-wheel construction; but in the present construction both of the forks O are pivoted on the end of the shaft D, which becomes a common center of vibration of both forks. The trucks on each side of the car in this case it will be seen are connected with the bottom of the car at six points-via, at the ends of the two legs of the bracket F and the four springcylinders I. The bracket-support F is intermediate and central of the spring-cylinder supports I and the distance between the spring-cylinders is in exact proportion to the length of the forks C, and this is equally true in the single-wheel construction.

With the four-wheel construction just described it will be seen that the carsupported thereon may have vertical movement in five parallel planes on each side of its longitudinal center-namely, the vertical planes through the four spring-cylinders and the vertical planes passing through the pivot or hinge connecting the two-wheel fork-frames C C, or ten planes on both sides. I The double trucks and wheels are employed when the car is of excessive length and capacity and for the purpose of securing a longer central support and also for the purpose of providing the additional traction which would be nec' essary.

Where the single wheels and trucks are used, the wheels are driven through the mediu m of a drive-chain W, traversing sprocket wheels X on the shaft D and sprocket-wheels Y on the hubs of the wheels B, and where the double construction is used two chains W are employed, as best shown at Fig. 5, and hence the power and motion may be applied to the two wheels, one each side of the car, while each of said wheels, with its fork O, is free to vibrate upon the end of the shaft D. s V V The ends of the car are supported each upon a centrally-arranged steering-wheel A, which is in all respects like the drivingwheels B. In describing the arrangement and operation of the end steering-wheels A reference is made to Figs. 1, 4, 7,8, 9, and 10, and especially to Figs. 9 and 10, which are on enlarged scale. The wheels A are mounted in suitable ball-bearings on the axle A in the ends of a fork-frame B, which latter is formed integral with a steering-postO. To the under side of the car is secured by screw-bolts D a circular metal plate E, with a circular ball-race in its lower face. F is a similar plate with a corresponding ball-race in its upper face. Both of these plates are made of tool-steel and accurately adjusted to confine. antifriction-balls G. The plate F is adapted to be seated in the circular top H of twin spring-cylinders I, the latter sufficiently far apart to constitute a space for the forkframe B of the wheel A, as clearly shown at Fig. 9, and each cylinder-'isprovided with a spring K, as heretofore explained. The circular head of the twin cylinders I andthe circular platesE and F are all bored centrally to receive the shank of a hollow or spool king pin or belt I, the upper end of which is threaded to receive a securing-nut K, and in this way the twin cylinders,-plates E F, and antifrictiomballs G are all assembled andsecured in proper relation with the car. The steering-post 0 passes rotatively through the king-bolt I and nut K and is provided at its upper end with any suitable lever or handwheel for rotating the same. The axle A of the wheel A extends laterally a sufficientdistance to receive and have secured thereto two piston-supports L, which enter the spring-cylinders I, as heretofore explained, and when the parts are all assembled, as shown in Fig. 9, it will be seen that the rotation of the steering-post C will, through the medium of the fork B, axle A piston-supports L, and cylinders I, cause the wheel A to rotate on its tangential pivot and the cylinder-head to rotate upon its ball-bearing.

The cylinder-heads are provided with diametric lugs L, adapted to receive the ends of pitman rods or chains M, which cross and are secured in place in the lugs L by bolts N and n uts O, and as a result of this arrangement when the wheel A at either end of the car is turned upon its tangential pivot and the cylinder-head is correspondingly rotated the 'wheel at the opposite end will be turned by the synchromatic rotation of the cylinderheadat that end of the car, and consequently the two wheels A will occupy the relation the car away from a straight line in the op v posite direction,'the center driving-wheels f;

shown in dotted lines at Figs. 7 and 8, the

forward wheel leading that end of the car:

away from astraight line in one direction and the rear wheel leading the rear end of thecar becoming substantially the axis upon which the car-body as awhole turns,

' At this point it is most proper :to recur to the'construction and operation ofthe periph-1- eral hoofs or'feet Oof the several wheels, and" attention is particular-l y directed to the diagram shown at Fig. 12 and in which :1repre sentsa straight path in whicha car is pre-' sumably travelin g and 2 a curve or turn made I by the car; in changing, its direction-iv The small circles in solidjliues'are intended 'to; represent the peripheral feet of the, wheels in, c ontact With the roadway at the point of di vergence between the straight and" Now recurring to the steering of thecar,

circles in solid lines at Fig.,12 remains in tractional contact with the roadway, while f the ankleR', supporting said foot,-rotates on j its ball-and-socket joint, as indicatedsby' the circles in broken or dotted lines. in- Fig 12,

andhence, while the'car and wheels change their 'direction,the frog cushion or' section T of the tire remains stationarywi-th reference tothe axial movement of the ankle, and thus the frog or cushion is protected'against the twisting or grinding action so destructive in wheels and tires of ordinary construction.

The arrangement of the wheelsiis such that only a single wheel is employed at each end of the car, while at the same time the carbody is thoroughly supported and the steer:-

-ing rendered'exceedingly easy and simple,

and by reason of this character. of support, the construction of the wheels, and thevibratory action of the wheel-trucks, coupled with the peculiar arrangement of the springs, it

- will be apparent that great comfort'andease are secured for the passengers, becauseany vertical movementof the car-body asa whole is analogous to the movement of a body placed on an ordinary spring-bottom chair or upon an air-cushion, in which case thespring while yielding maintains the weight in a horizontal plane free from any lateral swaying motion. In other words, the car remains in horizontal equilibrium, while thewheel construction and auxiliary-springs permit the wheels to adapt themselves to the inequalities and also serve to take up and 4 r In connection with the arrangement ofthe dissipate the momentum shocks which would otherwise be felt byv the passengers.

single steering-wheels at each end of the car and connected as described I am enabled to take a comparatively-Ion g car around a short curve, becausewhile the front wheel causes the car to swivel or turn on its central wheels, as heretofore'described, and leads the front end around the are or curve of which the center ofthe car isthe'axis, the rear steering-wheelperforms a similar function toward the rear end of the; car and counteracts the tendency of the rear endto travel toward front end, which would be the case if the rear-end were not carried away from the path it would naturallyv travel." In other words, with-a lo'ngcar turningaro'und the corner or intersection of two narrow streets; ifthe car shouldbesteered at its fro n-tfend only, while snchr end would turn said corner 1 the rear ;end"would*pass in substantially a straight .line across the'corner'. In my construction the rear wheel leadsthe rear endof-the car away, front such direction and toward the plane of the new ordesired path of travel.

Referring to theforks G, in'which the driv-- connects thefnll ends, as mostclearly shown at Eig. 5, and operatestohold the forks on each side of the car in parallelism.

While I have shown the head of the twin spring-cylinders provided with ball-bearings and prefer such construction','-it will be understood that -I do notwish to be confined to such construction, as saidheadmaybe rotatively connected with the car in any other'suitable manner, and many other'variati'ons' may likewise be made in the details of construction without departing fromthe spirit of my invention. For instance, whilel have shown and prefer-the steering-wheels located near be located in rear of such point and-at any localityjso long as they constitute supports for the ends of the car to properly cooperate with the supports which the driving-wheels give at the center, w j v i Among other advantages of my improved car it will be seen" that the wheels being of the construction shown'and described may be readily repaired, as the. parts are all interchangeable, and that by reason of the peculiar construction and operation of the peripheral feet there is a less percentage of wearing- .surface brought in contact with the roadway and that such surfaces'as are brou'ght'in' contact with the roadway are not subjected to so great a wearing action as is the case with a wheel'of ordinary construction. Likewise in lieu of connectin g-theperipheral feet with the ankles by the ball-and-socket joint shown other means may be employed to secure universal,and particularly rotati ve,motion. For instance, the universal joint may be located in the anklev rather than between the ankle andthefoot. g A

i While I have no tshown or described any 'ing-wheelsare' supported; a rodor brace P andto intersect the are described by the the front extremity of the platforms they may particular kind of motive power, it will be understood that any preferred form may be employed and connected by a sprocket-chain with the power-transmitterV, and in the use of such a connection between the motor and the transmitter I prefer the sprocket-andchain gearing constituting the subject-matter of an application filed by me on the 31st day of July, 1899, Serial No. 725,664, which illustrates and describes a sprocket-chain traversing sprocket-wheels with only three sprockets equidistant from each other, and I also contemplate using the same means for transmitting motionfrom the shaft D to the several driving-wheels. This mode of transmitting power and motion is especially desirable v and necessary in my improved car, as by its use I am enabled to avoid the disagreeable noise which results from ordinary gear-wheels or sprocket-wheels having a multiplicity of sprockets engaging with the links of the chain. 5

I have so far referred to the power-transmitting mechanism between the adjacent ends of the shafts D by the reference-letter V and making reference to a pending application. In the said application will be found a full descriptionof the construction and operation of the mechanism, which consists of a twopart case or boX'Y, provided with a sprocketgear Q, (see Fig. 5,) rotatively mounted upon the ends of the shafts D and secured againstlateral movement by sprocket-wheels R, fastened on the inner ends of'said shaft, two other sprocket-wheels S, arranged on a shaft T at right angles to the shaft D and constituting a chord of the cylindrical box V, and a continuous chain with links at rightangles to one another and adapted to traverse th several sprocket-wheels R and S'. I

.What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is v I 1. A motor-car adapted for. use upon streets and ordinary roadways and consisting of a body mounted centrally upon driving-wheels disposed on each side of the longitudinal center of the body in trucks or frames rigidly and vibratively secured to said body, and end supporting and steering wheels pivotally con nected with the body in its longitudinal center, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A car having self-contained motive force,

mounted centrally upon driving-wheelsdis' posed each side of the longitudinal center of the car and connected by suitable means with the self-contained motive force, and end supporting and steering wheels pivotally connected with the body in its longitudinal center and provided with suitable steering mechanism, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. a

3. Acar having self-contained motive force and mounted upon centrally-arranged driving-wheels and end supporting and steering Wheels, pivotally connected in the longitudinal center of the'body, the driving and steering wheels having-sectional traction periphcries,- said sections adapted to rotate independently upon radial axes, whereby the changes in direction of travel may be made without undue Wear of the wheels, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

4. A car having self-contained motive force and mounted upon central driving-wheels, and end supporting and steering wheels, the driving-wheel trucks being pivotally connected at one end to the body of the car, and supported at the opposite or vibratory end against springs arranged on the under side of the body of the car, in combination with means'as described for driving each wheel independently of the others as and for the purposes set forth.

5. A car mounted at each end upon a supporting and steering wheel pivotally secured in the longitudinal center of the car, and sustained midway of its ends upon four wheels, two each side of the longitudinal center, sup ported in fork-trucks having a common axis connections at their outer ends with the body of the car and means substantially as described for driving said wheels independently and differentially, as and for the purposes set forth.

6. The steering-wheels A mounted in the fork B, having steering-post 0, upon an axle A extended laterally as described and having pivotally connected therewith vertical supports L; the twin spring-cylinders 1, formed with head I-I, and means substantially as described for connecting the same rotatively with the body of the car as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In'combination' with the. steering-wheel 'A mounted on axle A in fork B, and the of vibration at one end and having spring too supports L, twin spring-cylinders I, and head H adapted to be secured rotatively to the under sidev of the car, the plate E secured to the car'and the plate F located in the head H,

each provided with circular ball-races, and

the antifriction-balls G confined in the ballraces between the plates Eand F, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

no A

8. In combination with the car A, steeringwheels A, fork B, steering-post G andspringcylinders I, formed with the head H, the hollow ring-ball I and nut K, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. In combination with the car mounted upon centrally-located driving-wheels and end steering-wheels mounted in supports located within twin springcylinders I, formed with heads H, rotatively connected with the car; diametric lugs L on the cylinders I, and steering-rods M pivotally connected with the lugs L, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

10. In combination with the car A, mounted 6 I p x a 648,328

upon central driving-wheels, and end steerarc, of which the center of the car is the axis,

7 ing-wheels, the latter adapted to be rotated substantially as hereinbefore' set forth. [0

upon the triangular point of contact withthe In testimony whereof I affix my signature road, means intermediate of and connected in presence of two witnesses. 1

with the two steering-wheel supports for caus- JAMES C. ANDERSON. ing both wheels to rotate at the same-time in Witnesses: 1 V opposite directions, whereby the two ends of C. W. DOWNING,

the car are led in opposite directions upon an WM. D. \VHEELER. 

